Reliving a Dream
by Sphynx
Summary: Dreams. Something that are sometimes so real, one wishes that they could stay in it forever. . .


**A/N:** Just a strange little blurb that came to me after watching one to many Digimon episodes in one night xD Lord, you gotta love Zero Two, eh? I haven't written anything like this in months, and honestly, I need to get back into the habit of it. . so. . along came this!

**Disclaimer: I own none of the following characters.**

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Dreams. Something that are sometimes so real, one wishes that they could stay in it forever. It might be a dream about a long lost friend, someone you wish you could see again, or of a good time with family or friends. It's the minds funny way of trying to convince you of a reality that isn't. A cruel trick that the body loves.

But for one pre-teen, the sight in front of him couldn't be a dream. It was too real. He could feel things (legend was, you can't feel anything in dreams), see things, hear things, and even smell them. If this was a dream, his mind was going into over-drive.

Ichijouji Ken stood, transfixed by the site in front of him. He had managed to wonder his way into a little batch of trees, just next to the park his family used to visit when he was younger. It wasn't as if he'd never been here before. With the rocks perfect for climbing, and the little stream that ran right through, it had been a favorite place of his to be when the studies got to tough.

Osamu had loved it as well. Ken now knew why Osamu had fled to many times to his 'perfect place' as he once called it. Interviewers, fans, girls wanting to bear his children (yes, even that had happened one time). . and one tried to forget the 'towel girl' incident. . Osamu had been here for hours after that wonderful fiasco.

But it wasn't spot here was in that fascinated him. . .

"What's the matter, Ken-chan? You look as though you've seen a ghost."

Ichijouji Osamu grinned up at him from his spot on a rock, throwing bread crumbs into the water, watching as birds would swoop down and fight each other for it. Ken stood there, trying to tear his gaze away from his late brother.

One half of Ken was screaming at him to run and tackle Osamu, hugging him for all he was worth. The other half was telling him to run, screaming for his life. After all, it was not everyday that your supposedly dead brother just arrived at the exact spot that you were, alive and seemingly perfectly healthy. Neither of the sides won, and Ken ended up gaping at his brother, mouth half open and looking like an idiot.

"Close you mouth, otou-chan." Osamu said, still grinning. "You look as though you have problems."

"Osamu nii-san?" Ken mumbled. "Why. . _how_ are you here?"

The former genius shrugged. "Dunno. I don't ask a lot of questions. Sit. We need to have a nice talk. I haven't seen you in forever; how have you been?"

Trying to decide whether or not he was losing his mind, Ken sat on a rock directly opposite from Osamu. "I'm good, I guess. We havne't been doing much. . Digital World is sorta quiet now. . not that it's a bad thing. Rather relaxing, actually."

His brother nodded, and for the first time, Ken realized Osamu probably didn't have a clue what he was talking about. Before he could explain, Osamu cut in. "That whole deal with Vandemon really takes a lot out of people, doesn't it?"

"You know about the Digital World?"

"I know a lot of things you don't realize I do," Osamu said, shrugging. "I've seen everything. I"m all knowing"

"You sound like God."

Osamu snorted. "Nah, trust me, He's a lot bigger. . . and a lot neater. I couldn't run the world; I'd kill myself after I took over China."

Apparently, Osamu hadn't lost his odd sense of humor either. "Yea, taking over worlds isn't as pretty or glamorous as it sounds."

"You would know. Been there, done that, eh Kaizer?"

At the mention of the Kaizer, Ken flinched a little. He was past beating himself up for it; the past couldn't be changed. There was no reason for it. But for some reason, hearing that from his own brother struck a wound in him deeper than anyone else. "Yea. . . something of that sort."

His brother nodded in understanding. "I need to apologize for that."

Ken blinked. "For what?"

"You becoming Kaizer."

_What in the world. . ?_

Osamu elaborated. "Face it, Ken. I had a hand in you becoming what you were. I gave you the model. You figured out how to be evil from me. I wasn't always the model student they portrayed on the television. . especially not to you."

The former genius was bringing up old hurts Ken really could have lived without. But this was also the moment he'd been longing for his whole life. The chance to tell his brother he was sorry. "It wasn't your fault-"

"Then tell me why the Kaizer happened to look like me."

Ken sighed, giving up. "Alright. . so I modeled myself after you," he said, looking downwards. "I wanted to be you so badly when I was little. . I wanted the popularity, I wanted to good looks. . I wanted the attention from Mom and Dad."

Something inside Ken snapped. "But that doesn't matter now! The point is, once I became you. . I realized everything you had once told me was true. I didn't want to be you, I didn't want the publicity, I didn't want the fans. . . or the homework."

"Or the naked girls in towels screaming outside your apartment."

Ken grinned. "Haven't quite gotten there yet. The point is. . Osamu, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I told you I hated you, I'm sorry for wanting to be you. . I'm sorry I caused your death. . ." Tears were rapidly forming in his eyes, and he reached to wipe them away, only to jump when a hand landed on his shoulder.

"Ken."

The person spoken to looked up into eyes that matched his own. "You didn't cause my death. A drunk driver going to fast did. You could have _never_ known that car was going to hit me." Osamu stated, looking his little brother in the eye. "And I saw the look on your face when it happened. You grieved, Ken. You never wanted me dead and I know that."

"You can't continue blaming yourself for my death, do you understand. You were mad Ken, and I pushed you that far. It was my fault I caused you to be that way. I was jealous. Yes, the great Ichijouji Osamu, Child Prodigy of Tokyo, was jealous of a nine-year old boy. . .who happened to have something he didn't."

Osamu smiled. "You see, when I saw that device, what you now call your D3, I realized it had something to do with that 'other world'. Remember the night that you and I watched the 'island in the sky'? I realized it was a portal to that world. And I also realized it was for you."

"That scared me too. . you can't imagine the fear I had, knowing that my baby brother had access to a world that could potentially be dangerous to him. I frightened me, Ken. But I over reacted, and for that, I will forever be sorry."

Ken looked to see that tears were forming in his brother's eyes and well, and before he knew it, he wrapped his arms around his older brother and sobbed. Sobbed for lost time, sobbed for the years Osamu had missed. . and sobbed for their broken relationship.

Finally, the brothers pulled back and wiped the tears from their eyes. "Is this real?"

"How badly do you want it to be?"

"So bad that it hurts just thinking it isn't."

Osamu smiled at him again. "Then treasure the memory. If you keep it there, it will be as real as you want it to be. Remember Ken, I'm never quite far from where you are. Not if you keep me here." He pressed a hand to Ken's heart. "Sappy as a romance novel, I know."

Ken grinned. "You always did hate those things."

A snort. "They're annoying and nothing what being in love is going to feel like. I always wanted to slaughter the people who wrote those."

It was starting to get dark outside, and Ken's cell phone went off. Looking down and seeing that it was his mother, he looked back to his brother. Osamu noticed the phone and nodded to him. "Go home, Ken-chan."

"Aren't you coming with me."

"I will later. . Tell Mama to be expecting me."

Ken grinned wider. "I will. . won't she be surprised when you walk in the door."

Osamu smiled back. "Of course. Now hurry along. But wait!" He stopped and pulled something from around his neck. "Here. . I always wanted to give this to you before I died. . it's my good luck charm. Didn't quite work for me. . but you always did seem to be the lucky one."

Ken fingered the charm and placed it around his neck. With one last hug to his brother he started back to his home.

And that's when Ken woke up, panting, and tears streaming down his face.

_Dreams. Something that are sometimes so real, one wishes that they could stay in it forever_ . . . .


End file.
